1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a television or video game data reception apparatus and particularly relates to a television game data reception apparatus which is designed such that, for example, in each local station (in each home) or the like, a user can selectively use a desired one of television game softwares in the user's home in each local station (in each family) or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computers mainly for home use, which are computers for playing television games (also called video games, computer games, and so on), have become popular. Generally, game data for such a television game is sold in a packaged state wherein the data has been written in a ROM (read only memory).
Accordingly, on one hand, there has been a troublesomeness for a user in that the user has to go to a game software shop every time the user wishes to get a software package desired. Particularly with respect to a popular game software, a line is formed in front of the shop and there is a case where a user cannot buy a game software when the user wishes to buy it.
On the other hand, in accordance with the content of a game, there is a case where a user loses interest in the game after playing the game only once or twice and is inconvenienced in disposing of the game software. In this regard, there is a software package in which, for example, a DRAM (dynamic random access memory) is used as a medium in which a game software is to be written and the content of the DRAM can be rewritten or renewed by a game software desired.
By use of such a software package, there is no waste of medium so that it can be said preferable in a viewpoint of saving in resource because a game data in one package can be rewritten or renewed by a different one. In this case, however, such a troublesomeness that a user must go to a game software shop every time the user desires such a renewal is not yet eliminated, because the rewriting operation cannot be carried out on the user's side.
The present applicants proposed a television game data transmission/reception system in Japanese Patent Application No. 125285/1993 (Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 319874/1994). This system comprises a base station and a plurality of local stations connected to the base station in a wireless manner or through wire so that a television game data signal is transmitted from the base station to the local stations. Each of the local stations is provided with an adapter connected to a game machine body for receiving the television game data signal, and the adapter is provided with a memory for storing the data signal so that the television game data signal can be desiredly and selectively written into the memory.
According to this system, therefore, a user can obtain a desired television game data easily in the user's home and can enjoy the game repeatedly by reading out the game from the memory.
For example in the case of a game where some stages are provided in accordance with the degree of advancement, however, there is an inconvenience that a user must start the game from the first stage when the user wishes to play the same game again after the user stops the game in the midway of the game.